Silo structure



F. A. STAFFORD.

SILO STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 19w.

' Patented June 14, 1921.

Wtmaa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. STAFFORD, OF CHARITON, IOWA.

SILO STRUCTURE.

T 0 all w 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, F REDERIOK A. STAF- rono, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Charlton, in the county of Lucas and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Silo Structure, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a silo structure of extremely simple and relatively inexpensive construction.

More particularly it is my object to provide a structure comprising a receiving member, such, for instance, as a silo, havdoor members and also to serve as means for properly spacing the door members in the door openings.

Still a further object is to provide in con nection with such a structure a simple means for locking the door sections in position temporarily or for a longer time, if desired.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: a

Figure 1 shows a frontelevation of a silo structure embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a front elevation of one of the door sections.

Fig. 1 shows a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 shows a vertical, sectional view of a door section, the fastening and reinforc ing devices therefor being shown in side elevation.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a circular structure having the form of a silo. The silo 10 is provided with a vertically spaced series of door openings 11.

For closing the different door openings I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 4; 1 Application filed March 18, 1919.

Serial No. 283,410.

ing a sheet metal door member 12. The;

door members 12 are curved from side to side, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4:, to conform to the curvature of the interior of the have provided in each case a door compris silo wall and to enable the door sectionsto fit snugly against the interior of the wall. The door members 12 are of such height and width as to overlap the door openings 11, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, both on has one flange extending upwardly and secured to the door member 12, and has its lower flange extending from the lower edge of the upper flange outwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper angle iron 15 has its horizontal flange at the top of the angle iron, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The lower angle iron 13 is so located with relation to the general outline of the door member 12 as to form a means for supporting the door member 12 within the opening 11, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 2.

The brace members 13, 14; and 15 terminate short of the side edges of the door member 12, so that the said brace'members may project into the opening 11. They also serve to limit any sidewise movement of the door member when such door member is installed, and thus assist in properly holding the door member within the open- %e cured to the outwardl extendin flan e Y b b of the middle brace 14% is abracket or the lik 16, in which is mounted a bolt 17. i

For fastening the door members 12 in position where it is desired to lock them securely, I provide a transverse bar 18 which fits against the silo wall adjacent to the sides of the opening 11, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The bolt 17 extends through the bar 18 and has on its outer end an adjustable nut 19, whereby the door member 12 may be tighltly drawn against the interior of the silo wal As a matter of fact, in filling the silo with ensilage 1 preferably use the bars 18 during the filling process, but after the ensilage has been put into the silo and the silo is filled to a point above any door member, then the bar 18 of that door member may be and I find that with a door o-f'the type here- 'in set forth there is less spoiling of the ensilage; than with any other door. with. which I am familiar. V r 7 It will be seen that my entire structure is of extremely simple construction. By using doors of thistype instead of the ordinary doors, which are more expensive to make, and whlch require the providing of rabbets around the interior of the door openings, I am able to very substantially reduce the expense of building a silo and equipping it with doors, and I find that it is easier to maintain tight joints with a very simple door of the kind mentioned and described than with other more expensive'and more complicated doors. 7

It will be noted that there isv a portion of the door member12 outside the outlines of the cross braces thereon, which portion is not braced and can bend slightly'so as to fit snugly to the interior of the silo wall.

In this connection it may be mentioned that .these door members have a certain amount of resiliency which enablesthem to be sprung by theweight of the ensilage on the interior of the silo, so as to properly fitaround the door opening in case of anyslight inequalities or uneven places in the silo wall.

; As the ensilage is removed the doors can be removed without any diflieulty whatever, and stored in any ordinary way. 7

Most farmers plaster a little mud or clay in the rabbet around the door so as to makeanair tight seal around the door. Since it freezes'some in all silos in this country it is easy to take a'silage fork and slide it down between the door and silo with my structure, which would be impossible if there were a rabbet for the door to set in.

No special tool or work is necessary for tion is obviously extremely simple and yet is readily adjustable.

It will be noted that doors of this kind may be made in standard sizes and may then be fitted to any sort of silo wall, whether monolithic concrete, concrete blocks, tile, brick or wood. It is further obvious that on account of .themeans whereb-y'the door is looked in position, doors of standard sizes may be used for silo walls of greatly varying thicknesses. 7

Some changes may be madein the con struction and arrangement of the vparts of my improved device without departing from the essential spirit thereof,-and it is my object to cover. by my claim any modified forms ofstructure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within its scope.

I claim as my invention:

In a device of the class described, the combination of a circular structure having a door opening therein, adoor member for said opening comprising a sheet of somewhat resilient metal curved from side to side to conform to the curvature of the structureand overlapping the wall of the structure at the'sides and top and bottom of the opening, transverse brace members on the outer surface of said door member nearthe top and bottom thereof, terminating short of the side edges ofsaid door member,'and adapted to engage the wall of the opening for properly positioning the'door member with relation to said opening, a central, transverse,.reinforcing angle member "on the outer surface of said door member, a second angle member secured to said first angle FREDERICK A. STAFFO D. 

